Irkutsk Scientific Centre
of the Siberian Branch
of the Russian Academy of Science

Akademgorodok

A large group of the Irkutsk Centre institutes is carrying out studies in
Earth sciences.
Natural and geological phenomena, large mining areas, various landscapes,
the
Baikal rift system, the Angara river and the system of water reservoirs,
all these make
up a matchless natural test ground for scientists.

The Institute of the Earth’s Crust, together with the Baikal Experimental
Seismological Expedition, is a centre for studies of earthquakes and deep
structure of
the crust.

The Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, which together with the allied
Geological
Institute of the Buryat Science Centre form the United Institute of
Geochemistry and
Geology, is well known leader in geochemical and geodynamic research that
is of
value not only in terms of geology but also as environmental and human
health issues.

The world oldest Lake Baikal is unique natural object for comprehensive
studies by
Siberian, Russian and many foreign scientists. Recently deciphered
continuous
palaeoclimatic record from Baikal bottom sediments that images climatic
and
environmental changes in Central Asia over 15 Ma is their most important
achievement.
The Limnological Institute, the oldest academic institution in Eastern
Siberia, has a
modern fleet of various research vessels.

Examination of the environment and landscape conditions and predicting
their
changes under natural and anthropogenic impacts constitute the main
subject of
interest for scientists from the Institute of Geography.

Mathematical methods of sustainability and monitoring of complex systems,
including
those in economy and environment, are under elaboration in the Institute
of System
Dynamics and Control Theory.

On the basis of studies of complex organic and hetero-organic compounds
and
reaction mechanisms, the Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry, in collaboration
with some
local chemical enterprises, works out novel chemical products, among
which those
broadly used in medicine and agriculture, and can offer high-efficiency
technologies
for wood and biomass processing.

The Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry elaborates
techniques for
cultivation of agricultural plants in the severe Siberian climate using
knowledge of
physical and chemical processes and genetic information in plant cells,
and deals
with problems of preservation of biodiversity.

The Department of Regional Economic and Social Problems and the Design
and
Technology Institute for Beam Technologies work as affiliations to the
Presidium of
the Science Centre.

The Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics has a national scale research
basis for
studies of fundamental problems of solar physics and near-terrestrial
space.
The Institute possesses a complex of
unique astrophysical equipment deployed
in the Sayan Mountains, especially the
Siberian solar radiotelescope, a large
solar vacuum telescope, an incoherent
scatter radar, as well as a network of
astrophysical laboratories throughout
the
territory of Siberia.

The Melentiev Institute of Energy Systems, established during
construction of the
Angara hydroelectric cascade, became one of the most important centres
engaged in
theoretical work on energetic complexes and systems to provide a
scientific basis for
the unified energy strategy for Russia and its regions.

The institutes of the Irkutsk Centre have long-existing strong relations
with the Irkutsk
State University and the Irkutsk State Technological University, two
major higher
schools of the city. As a result, there exist joint educational and
scientific complexes
in mathematics, power engineering, biology and geology, a few tens of
chairs where
scientists from the research institutes are involved in teaching,
specialised
dissertation councils. Students and postgraduates have many opportunities
to go
through practical training in the academic institutes and scientific
field trips.

Scientists from the Irkutsk Science Centre of the SB RAS work closely
with the
institutes of the East-Siberian Centre of the Russian Academy of Medical
Sciences.
They perform joint research in radioecology, study the effect of various
viruses and
ecotoxicants on health of people and Baikal living organisms and
elaborate new
biologically active preparations and medicines.

Unique natural objects in the region, availability of a complex of major
scientific
installations and the world level of research at the Irkutsk Centre made
it possible to
establish three international research centres. The Baikal International
Centre for
Ecological Research, the International Centre of Solar-Terrestrial
Physics, and the
International Centre for Active Tectonics and Natural Disasters are
successfully
running research.

Irkutsk Akademgorodok is a complete self-operating district within the
city limits, by
the side of the Angara River, which comprises residential and working
zones with
well-developed logistic and social infrastructure. The institutes of the
Irkutsk
Akademgorodok are joined into a local computer network by an optic-fibre
cable and
have access to Internet through their own communication unit.

Presidium of the Irkutsk Scientific Center
of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science